Survival
by powerstaark
Summary: The body dragged out of the destroyed maze wasn't Nico's, convincing Sienna that her daughter is still alive. She and Warren team up to find her while Nico, scarred and burned from the blaze, fights to survive and stay hidden from the authorities.
1. Chapter 1

**Despite Nico being an evil maniac, I was upset when Warren left her behind while he was rescuing Sienna from the maze. I hope she survived but if she did, we're not going to see her for a long time since Persephone Swales-Dawson has done a goodbye video. Because of this, I decided to start my first ever Hollyoaks story. Nico became one of my favourite characters in a love-hate sort of way. She's a crazy, evil little demon but still behaves like a child (Persephone herself is actually nineteen but she looks sixteen) and it's because she's a combination of a murderous monster and a lonely little girl that I find her interesting.**

 **I think Persephone is an underrated actress since she got a lot of abuse from jerks on facebook. Hating Nico is something I can understand, but I feel like people use their hatred of the actual character as an excuse to insult Persephone herself. I think she has really developed her acting skills throughout her time on Hollyoaks - when I started watching again after a long break from the show, I didn't think she was very good but she definitely got much better as time went on - and I'm actually a bit sad that she's left. Persephone's nowhere near as good as Anna Passey (Sienna), at least not yet, but I see quite a lot of potential in her. She's a hell of a lot better than Lysette Anthony (Marnie), who is more than three decades older.**

"Sienna, I love you," Warren said as he sat beside her on the hospital bed. Sienna gave him a very unnerving stare. Her eyes showed no hint of emotion. If she wasn't sitting upright, Warren might have thought she was dead.

"But I hate you," she said calmly, "You left my little girl to die."

"There was no time to go back for her," Warren protested.

"Then why didn't you save her first?" Sienna asked. Her voice had no trace of emotion but Warren would have preferred it if she had screamed at him. He opened his mouth to reply but she held up a hand, "Don't answer. It's because you wanted her dead."

"Sienna…"

"Don't pretend you didn't," Sienna hissed and this time her voice shook slightly, "You thought she deserved it. She was just a child."

"No, she was a monster," Warren said. Sienna slapped him so hard that she knocked him off the bed. Warren had no idea that she was so strong.

"Don't call her that!" Sienna screamed and Warren ironically felt his confidence returning now that she wasn't bottling up her emotions.

"Why not?" he snapped, rising to his full height, "You know it's true. Tell me one redeemable thing about Nico."

Sienna glared at him but didn't respond.

"Sienna, I know she was your daughter and I know you loved her," Warren began, speaking more gently now, "But she's killed more people by the age of sixteen than most criminals do in their entire lifetime. Hell, I've killed people in the past and even I find that disturbing. I don't understand what you saw in her."

"She was my daughter," Sienna snapped.

"You wouldn't have loved her if she wasn't," Warren fired back.

"Well, she was," Sienna said, "You don't understand what it's like to have a mother's instinct to protect her child. To spend every day wishing you could be there for her. I spent years separated from her Warren and that ache never went away until I had a chance to hug her again. And now…" She stopped and choked on tears. Warren sat down beside her and tried to hug her but she pushed him away. Warren waited until she had calmed down before speaking again.

"You're right. I don't know how that feels. But I do know what it's like to lose a child."

"Maxine's child wasn't even born," Sienna snapped, "It doesn't count."

"Maybe not, but it still hurt," Warren said, "I've never had any parenting skills but I was hoping I could develop them when Maxine gave birth. I hoped I could make up for the mistakes I made with Joel." He paused, "Sienna, I'm sorry that you lost your daughter. I really am."

They sat in silence for a while.

"Are they sure it was Nico's body?" Sienna asked at last. Warren hesitated.

"They said it was _a_ body," he said, "But no, they didn't confirm it was Nico's. But the chances of her getting out…"

"I don't care how small they were," Sienna interrupted, "I won't believe that she's gone until I see her body. I want to see the one they dragged out of the fire."

"And what if it is Nico?" Warren said quietly, "Do you really want to see your daughter's charred corpse?"

"I have to know," Sienna insisted, "And if it is her, I'll make you pay for abandoning her."

* * *

Sienna and Warren stood side by side as a man pulled back the sheet covering the corpse. It was charred almost beyond recognition and the hair had been burned away. Sienna stared hard at the body.

Then she started to smile.

"It's not her," she said, then giggled hysterically, "Warren, it's not her! She's still out there! My little girl's still alive!" She turned to him with a crazy look in her eyes, still smiling like a lunatic. Warren felt even more disturbed than he had when she blandly stated that she hated him. He knew Sienna was a bit unhinged but he had never seen her like this before.

"Calm down, Sienna," he said, then spoke to the man who had pulled back the sheet, "Have any other bodies been brought in?"

"Yes," he said and Sienna's crazy smile fell, "Joe Roscoe." Sienna's smile returned.

"And that's the only one?" she said. The man nodded. Sienna was shaking with relief and excitement, "Then she must be alive. Warren, we need to find her."

"And where do you suggest we start looking?" Warren asked. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to find Nico, especially since he'd seen evidence that the teenager had tried to kill her mother, but if it made Sienna happy, even if it was a crazy kind of happiness, he was going to help her.

* * *

Nico was in agony. She had barely managed to free her leg and get out before the entire maze collapsed but she'd had to jump through a wall of fire to do so. Her hair had been almost completely burned away and her skin still felt red hot. She was sure the leg that had been trapped under the maze wall was broken. She had to crawl through the forest as she was physically unable to stand upright. Every little movement sent a flare of agony through her scorched body.

Nico collapsed against a tree, too weak to go any further. She could still see some of Hollyoaks' buildings in the distance. If anybody came looking for her, she would have little chance of hiding.

She stared up at the sky and thought back to how she got into this state. Her mother's last words to her before Warren dragged her out of the burning maze were that she loved her, but she must have been lying, right? She wanted her to be locked away like an animal. Predators weren't locked away for killing their prey so, why should she?

Then she remembered how Sienna had begged Warren to get Nico out first. She must have just wanted to die knowing that her little "incest freak" would be locked up. That's what Nico had thought while she crawled through the forest, but now that she was too exhausted to do anything but think, another hazy thought floated into her head.

 _My mummy loves me._

Nico shook her head to get rid of that thought and groaned in agony as it sent waves of pain through her burned body. Her mother had done everything she could to get Nico out of the maze but she had also said she wanted to get her "help". Sienna's idea of "help" must have included a set of handcuffs and a police car. Nico hated the thought of going to prison. She wondered if death would be preferable. She had a feeling it would be coming for her soon. There was a dark shadow moving towards her as her vision started to fade.

Nico's last thought was that she'd always expected the Grim Reaper to be taller.

 **I've got a vague idea of where I'm going with this story but I'm not sure how it's going to resolve itself yet. At the moment, I'm focussing more on some of my favourite Hollyoaks characters (Nico, Sienna, Warren etc) and their interactions than the storyline. I hope you guys like it, nonetheless.**

 **One more thing. Can someone please add Nico to the character choices? I don't know how to do so myself.**


	2. Chapter 2

Nico saw two blurry figures beside her conversing quietly.

"She needs to go to a hospital," said one.

"You were once a renowned Doctor," the other replied. "You're perfectly capable of treating her here. Besides do you really think a teenage girl would want the public to see her like this?"

"I don't think she'd mind if her life is on the line, Edward," said the first man.

"Trust me, I've dealt with teenage girls," "Edward" replied, "They can be extremely concerned about their looks."

Nico still felt terrible but it hadn't occurred to her that the fire might have disfigured her to a point where she looked as bad as she felt. She tried to focus on the blurry figures of the men but squinting too hard sent stabbing pain through her skull. In the end, she gave up and went back to sleep.

* * *

Nico felt a bottle against her lips and drank greedily. She opened her eyes again and had enough time to register that the person holding the bottle was male before she passed out again.

* * *

The next time Nico woke up, she was determined to stay awake long enough to at least know where she was. She wasn't entirely sure if she was even still alive. For all she knew this could be hell but even if it was, she wanted to know. She turned her head to try and look at whoever was with her.

"Don't try to move, my dear," said the man, "Your injuries are severe. Frankly, I'm astonished that you're still alive."

"So… this isn't… hell?" Nico croaked.

"No," said the man, "This is my home. Now I suggest you go back to sleep. You've got a lot of recovering to do."

"Who… are you?" Nico gasped. She hated how weak her voice sounded.

"My name…" the man began but his voice faded along with Nico's vision as she fainted again.

* * *

"Damn police," Sienna grumbled, "They've always been useless around here."

"You're telling me," Warren said as they left the police station, "But I think we can be sure Nico's not in the village."

"Why are you looking for that demon brat?" asked Lisa Loveday as she flounced passed, "The world's better off without her."

Sienna tried to slap her but Warren pulled her back muttering, "She's winding you up. Drop it."

"I know Nico's done bad things," Sienna muttered as Lisa disappeared around the corner, "But I need to know she's safe."

"I know," Warren said, "But frankly, I don't think anyone is going to help us look for her."

"I suppose the first place we should look is the bunker," Sienna suggested.

"That's the first place she'd expect us to look," Warren said, then shrugged, "But fine."

* * *

Nico woke up still feeling like hell but able to make small movements without feeling unbearable pain. The old man beside her was moving chess pieces on a chess board absentmindedly. He glanced at her.

"Good morning, my dear," he said, "Miraculously, you will heal eventually. You must be a very resilient girl." Nico nodded and tried to sit up, "Careful. Your entire body will be fragile for quite a while." Nico relaxed, for once in no mood to fight or argue. She looked at the old man silently for a while. He just kept playing chess against himself.

"Chess needs two players," Nico said finally.

"Indeed," the old man agreed, "But right now, you shouldn't do anything except rest. By the way, what's your name?"

"Nico," the girl replied.

"Ah, so you _are_ the girl the police have been searching for," the man said, "I suspected as much. I would have taken you to a hospital but I suspect you don't want the wrong people to know you're alive. Fortunately, one of my neighbours was a doctor and he hasn't lost his touch. I convinced him to treat you right here."

"Thanks," Nico mumbled, "I hate hospitals. I didn't catch your name."

"Silas Blissett," replied the man and Nico's eyes widened. She felt a strange combination of terror and excitement when she heard the name, "So you've heard of me." Nico nodded.

"You go around killing slappers, don't you," she said, then her survival instincts kicked in and she hastily added, "I'm a virgin."

"Good," Silas replied, "I hate killing children." Nico felt slightly insulted.

"I'm nearly seventeen," she said with a pout.

"Still a child in my eyes," Silas replied.

"I've killed people, like you," Nico said.

"I know," Silas responded with a slight smile, "I read that your most recent victim was Trevor Royle. I'm impressed. That man had quite a reputation."

"I also killed my grandad," Nico told him, feeling pleased that she could share her achievements with someone who would understand, "And my step-father's daughter." She felt a twinge of guilt about that. Patrick and Trevor's deaths had been cold blooded murder but Carley's death was an accident. The guilt lasted no longer than a second.

"I see," Silas replied, casually toying with a chess piece, "Tell me; why did you kill them?"

"Carley's death was an accident," Nico said and Silas' approving smile was replaced by a pained expression, "I was just trying to protect my mum. But she and grandad wanted me locked up so I killed grandad. Then Trevor tried to take mum away so I killed him too. Mum left me on the streets and she wanted to give me to the police. I poisoned her drink."

"Did that kill her?" Silas asked.

"I don't know," Nico admitted, then hesitated, "She tried to save me from a fire before her boyfriend saved her. But she just wanted to give me to the police, right?"

"I won't pretend I know what was going through your mother's mind," Silas said, "But a parent's devotion to their child can be a very powerful thing. I think she probably did have your best interests at heart."

"You don't know her," Nico muttered, "She's manipulative and cold." _And she willingly went to prison for me,_ her mind added but Nico ignored it.

"So am I," Silas said, "But I loved my daughter. Killing her was the worst mistake of my entire life."

"Was your daughter a slapper?" Nico asked. Silas' eyes grew dark and Nico immediately regretted her question. She wasn't one for sensitivity but although she felt safe talking to Silas about the murders she'd committed, she wasn't stupid enough to assume that he wouldn't kill her if she provoked him. A moment later, the dark look faded and Nico relaxed.

"No," Silas said, "She made one mistake but she was a good girl. I was after someone else but I accidentally strangled the wrong woman." He looked down for a moment, "I spend every day praying that Heidi didn't recognize my voice in her last moments."

"So you didn't hate her?" Nico asked quietly, still testing the waters of what was safe to say and what wasn't.

"No," Silas said, "I could never hate my own daughter. I've been trying to purge my sin ever since."

"How?"

"By only killing people who deserve it," Silas explained, "I've considered going after Peter Buchanan. Filthy paedophile; it made me sick just to see him in newspapers. But it would be almost impossible to get to him now that he's behind bars and frankly, I'm too old to attempt such a risky mission."

"I thought you only killed women," Nico said.

"I did but variety is the spice of life you know," Silas said, "And you've already had a variety of victims in your short life. Unfortunately, you don't seem to have the same sense of artistry that I've gained over the years."

"Artistry?"

"You kill to fulfil selfish needs," Silas explained, "Believe it or not, I was your age once so I can understand those impulses, but as you grow older, I hope you start to see the bigger picture. I'm making the world a better place while you only want to make your own life better."

"So killing is okay?" Nico said, "I tried to tell that to my mum and my best friend but neither of them understood."

"Sadly, very few people do," Silas said, "But you must understand that senseless killing is unacceptable. Things must be done with precision. If innocents get caught in the crossfire, like my poor dear Heidi, you must do your best to make up for them. You said Carley's death was an accident but did she commit any crime?"

"I don't think so," Nico admitted, "We thought she was my step-dad's girlfriend but it turned out she was his daughter."

"I see," Silas replied, "That is the kind of killing I do not approve of. If killing a pawn doesn't get you any closer to checkmating the king, it shows that you are an inexperienced player. Do you play chess?"

"Not often," Nico said, "I know the rules and stuff but the last time I played chess was before my step-dad went to prison."

"When you're feeling better, perhaps we should play together," Silas suggested, "I must admit it gets a bit lonely playing chess by myself."

* * *

Warren and Sienna left the bunker frustrated and disappointed. They knew Nico had been there when she kidnapped Peri but now there was no sign of her. Warren glanced at Sienna as they trudged back towards the village. She was moving with slumped shoulders and staring at the ground.

"You know Nico has a habit of popping up," Warren said, "She's tough, like you." Sienna managed a slight smile. Warren loved it when she smiled even when it was just a tiny one like now, "Sooner or later, we'll find her."

"You don't have to help me," Sienna mumbled, "You don't owe me anything." Warren shrugged.

"It's my fault she's missing," he replied, "Besides, I really don't want to get on your bad side. You can be almost as scary as Nico when you want to be."

"Oh so I can scare big bad Warren Fox?" Sienna said with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"Yeah, you can," Warren said and Sienna's smile faded as she realized he was being completely serious, "Sienna, I've been with a lot of women in the past. I've never met one who could resist me," Sienna rolled her eyes at his arrogance but didn't interrupt, "but none of them ever made me feel the way I feel about you. The thought of being hated or rejected by you terrifies me."

"Oh," Sienna said. She had only meant to tease him but it seemed that Warren actually was insecure about how she felt about him. When she thought about it, she understood why, "Well, I don't hate you."

"But you would if Nico was dead, wouldn't you?" Warren said, "I'm not gonna lie; the only reason I give a damn about what happens to her is because _you_ give a damn about what happens to her. If she were anyone else's daughter, I would walk away without a backwards glance. But she's _your_ daughter so I'll do everything I can to find her. Even if she is completely insane."

Sienna looked at him silently for a long moment. Warren Fox wasn't the kind of man who wore his heart on his sleeve but she knew that everything he had said was true. Sienna wanted to feel upset about the fact that Warren was only helping her look for Nico for her sake, not her daughters, but she had to admit that as much as she loved Nico, she could understand why others would hate her. And Warren was offering her something that she had wanted her entire life; companionship. Her father may have loved her but he had been far too overbearing and abusive. Dodger was her brother but had adamantly refused to be anything more than that after their fling all those years ago. Ben was boring, Trevor was dead and Nico was so dark and angry that Sienna honestly wasn't sure if the teen truly hated her or if she was just speaking out of anger and fear before the maze collapsed. Warren loved her, faults and all, she liked spending time with him and he treated her as his equal. All he wanted was for her to love him in return. It made Sienna feel horrible for saying she hated him when she thought Nico was dead.

"Sienna?" Warren snapped her out of her thoughts, "Say something."

"I'm not sure what to say," Sienna said finally.

"That's a first," Warren said, with a slightly nervous smirk that looked out of place on his normally confident face. Sienna paused, then finally hugged him.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" Warren asked.

"For being here," Sienna replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Silas slowly nursed Nico back to health over the next few weeks. Nico was devastated when she saw her reflection in a mirror one day. The fire had burned her so severely that it had stripped away a lot of her beauty. Nico had never taken too much pride in her appearance but she had considered herself rather pretty until she saw what the fire had done to her.

"I look horrible," she whimpered as she stared at her ruined body. Her hair was growing back but the fire had left nasty burns, which looked like they might never heal completely. Silas looked at her with more sympathy than Nico would expect from a man who went around strangling women.

"Fire is destructive," he said, "Some scars never truly heal. But really, I'm not concerned with what you look like, my dear. I see great potential in you."

Nico looked at him. Over the last few weeks, she'd started to think of Silas as being like a grandfather. She'd never interacted with another serial killer before so it always made her feel better to talk to him about what she had done. Silas wasn't how she'd expected him to be. She'd thought that he was the kind of man who approved of any murder, whether people deserved to be killed or not, but it turned out that the old man wasn't the senseless killer she'd envisioned him as. In fact, he was so gentle with her that sometimes Nico forgot that he had killed dozens of women throughout his life. He wasn't an animal and there was method to his madness. Nico wanted to be more like him. If she was going to spend the rest of her life being considered a monster by society, she at least wanted to be an artistic one, not the animalistic one she had been in the past.

"Maybe I could try killing Pete," she suggested, "It's not like the authorities would recognize me when I look like this."

"But they would wonder why a scorched teenager would want to visit a convicted paedophile," Silas pointed out, "Even the police aren't complete imbeciles. If you want to kill Pete, you'll need to bide your time. He'll be in prison for years. I can only hope I'm still alive when he's released."

Silas thought about the time when he'd met Pete. He'd had a perfect opportunity to rid the world of him right then and there but because he was so used to only killing women, the idea of killing a man had thrown him off and he hadn't been sure how to react to it. That was another sin he was going to have to try and make up for.

"Well, if I can't go after Pete, maybe I should go after my slapper of a mother," Nico muttered but spoke with less venom than she used to when talking about Sienna.

"Perhaps," Silas agreed.

* * *

Sienna stared at a picture of her and Nico. Nico looked like a happy young girl, not the deranged monster Sienna had finally admitted she was. The police had no interest in helping her find her daughter. Neither did Ben, who had been released from prison but now wanted nothing to do with her. Only Warren stood by her and despite the disapproval from the rest of the village, he still followed every lead he could find, hoping to discover Nico's whereabouts.

Sienna was praying they would find Nico before she turned seventeen, but her birthday was only a week away.

"Damn it," Warren grunted. Surprisingly, he was getting more frustrated by the search than Sienna was. While she was just getting depressed, Warren was getting angry. Sienna saw him on a laptop on a Find Nico website they had set up together. Unsurprisingly, very few people visited it.

"Still no word?" Sienna said as she put down the photograph and crossed over to him. Warren turned to her.

"Nothing," he said, "It's like she's disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"Well, we just need to keep looking," Sienna said.

"Yes, but a search like this normally needs more than two people," Warren muttered.

* * *

"Checkmate," Silas said. Nico pouted and Silas smiled, remembering how Heidi and later Jasmine, before she had her sex-change, had done the same whenever he beat them at chess.

"I need to go outside," Nico said, standing up gingerly. Her leg was still weak and she could only walk short distances but she was no longer disabled, "I've been cooped up for too long."

"Very well," Silas said, standing up. Despite his age, he moved with the grace of a snake. It made Nico feel clumsy by comparison.

Silas took her outside his little bungalow, which was in a little village that Nico was fairly, sure she had stumbled into at some point in the past, before she found Sienna in Hollyoaks. Back then, she had been desperate to find her mother.

Silas watched Nico out of the corner of his eye as she limped alongside him. She reminded him a bit of Lindsey Roscoe but there was one very important difference. Lindsey had been a slut. Nico wasn't. To Silas, that made her the perfect candidate to carry on his life's work after he died. He just had to make sure she remained pure. If she ever lost her virginity, it had to be to someone she was truly committed to.

Silas had grown rather fond of Nico whilst she was with him and hated the thought of her becoming like so many other girls and women these days. The teenager was angry, dark and hated the world but she could still be childish and youthful. Whenever Silas beat her at chess, she would grumble about it, she often complained about her mother, her friend Peri and pretty much anyone else whom she felt had wronged her but she also listened to his advice and teachings like an attentive student listening to her teacher. Silas hadn't had anyone look up to him in a very long time and he rather enjoyed the feeling. Lindsey, for all her faults, had behaved like his equal and even taken charge on occasion, but Nico was still unsure of what she wanted to do with her life so she looked to him for guidance. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to go after Sienna anymore, or just forget about her and move on with her life.

Silas had never met Sienna but from what Nico had told him, she was another slut. However, Silas had decided to let Nico decide whether to go after her mother or not. He didn't have the energy that he used to and was getting too old to go after every single whore he knew about.

Nico tired quickly and Silas noticed that her leg was trembling slightly. She didn't complain but she did slow down enough to silently tell Silas that she wanted to go back. Silas turned around and raised his eyebrows at her.

"You need only ask," he said. Nico rolled her eyes.

"I want to go home," she said.

"Very well," Silas said and they headed back to his bungalow.

* * *

Sienna took a cake out of the oven and stuck a candle in it. She picked up the picture of her and Nico looking happy, like a mother and daughter should. She lit the candle and sat down, looking at her daughter's smiling face.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Sienna murmured, then blew out the candle, silently wishing that Nico would return to her.

 **Did anyone notice the way Silas moved when he advanced on Lindsey in their last episode? The way he walked resembled the slithering of a snake. They really should have given Jeff Rawle more time as his return was far too short.**


	4. Chapter 4

Silas looked out of his bungalow window and saw a young woman flirting with two men out on the street. He scowled in disgust. She was showing herself off in broad daylight for the world to see. Nico came into the room.

"What is it?" she said. Silas gestured out of the window and Nico joined him.

"Look at her," Silas spat, "Look at how she teases them. Look at the way she shows off her body. She reminds me of what Mercedes used to be like."

Nico looked at the pretty woman as she walked away from the men with a wave and a wink. She felt a pang of jealousy as she took note of the woman's beautiful skin. Then she looked at Silas.

"Where does she live?" Nico asked.

"Just down the street." Silas replied and looked at Nico out of the corner of his eye, "I think it's time for me to show you my method of murder."

* * *

Linda sat on her father's sofa, flicking through channels on the TV. Her parents had gone out for dinner. Someone knocked on the door. Linda went to the door and opened it to find an old man whom she had seen around the village. Beside him was a teenaged girl with a scarred face. Linda could tell that the girl used to be pretty, but whatever had happened to her had stripped her of most of her beauty, though hints of it were still there.

"You're Edward, right?" Linda said, "Is this your granddaughter?"

"Yes," Silas said, "She had a nasty accident so she's staying with me for a while."

"I wish I had skin like yours," Nico said, staring enviously at the older girl's beautiful skin.

"Are your parents in?" Silas asked.

"No," Linda said, "They went out to dinner."

"Good," Silas said, then struck with the speed of a snake. Nico had witnessed how gracefully the old man could move, but this was the first time she had seen how fast he could be. Linda tried to scream but Silas hand was covering her mouth, "Nico, the door." Nico hastily closed the open door. "Now watch and learn, my dear."

"What are you…?" Linda began as Silas uncovered her mouth. Silas slapped her.

"Be quiet, you whore," he snarled, "I've got a lesson to teach." Both hands went around Linda's throat. It dawned on Linda that the old man was trying to kill her. Frantically, she started struggling. She tried to beg for her life but Silas' grip on her neck was so tight that she could only let out choking gasps. She stared pleadingly at Nico but the younger girl just leaned on the now closed door and watched silently.

Silas glanced at Nico, who was watching with a fascinated expression as if this was the most engaging thing she'd seen in ages. Linda stamped on Silas' foot. Silas grunted and his grip loosened. Linda pushed him away and tried to flee but Nico grabbed a lamp and slammed it on her head. Linda collapsed, stunned, giving Silas the chance to finish her off.

Silas watched the life leave the young woman's terrified eyes with a satisfied smirk. When the body stopped twitching, he stood up, slightly worn out from the struggle. He looked at Nico, who was still holding the lamp and smiled approvingly.

"You're like a snake," Nico said as she put the lamp back, even putting it in the exact same place as if she'd never picked it up at all.

"Well, the Boa Constrictor is my favourite animal," Silas said, "Come, let's go home." He checked that the coast was clear and left the house. Nico looked at the corpse on the floor. Then she followed Silas.

* * *

"Damn it!" Silas roared as he picked up his gloves from his sitting room table. He had been so eager to show Nico how he killed people that he had forgotten to put them on.

"Silas?" asked Nico nervously. When Silas was angry, even she felt intimidated by him.

"I've been doing this for more than three decades," Silas snarled, "How could I forget?"

"Forget what?"

"To put on my gloves," Silas said, holding up said gloves, "Fingerprints, Nico. That's the first thing the police look for. A couple of years ago, I would never have made such an amateur mistake!"

"Well, you're old," Nico said, "Maybe your memory is going."

"Perhaps," Silas agreed, "But I've never forgotten my gloves before." He sat down and sighed, "I really am getting too old for this. This is the kind of oversight an inexperienced killer would make."

"I never used gloves," Nico admitted.

"You should," Silas said, "Leaving traces of DNA is a huge mistake." He chuckled bitterly, "God, that sounds hypocritical." He stood up rapidly, "We need to leave."

"What?"

"It won't be long before the police identify those as my fingerprints," Silas said, "Besides, one should never stay in the same place for too long. Help me pack."

* * *

"Sienna!" Warren called, "Come and look at this!" Sienna joined him and he showed her a newspaper article about a young woman who had been murdered, "The murder took place in a village not far from here."

"Any suspects?" Sienna asked. Warren scanned the page quickly.

"The police found the DNA of an old man called Edward on the body," he said, "Apparently, his granddaughter was visiting at the time. She was a shut in and never interacted with anyone apart from him."

"We should check out the scene," Sienna said.

"I agree but we should wait until after the police are gone," Warren said, "When this sort of thing happens, people get paranoid. It would be a bad idea for two complete strangers to turn up at a crime scene."

* * *

Sienna ignored Warren's advice. She arrived at the crime scene while the police were examining Linda's house.

"Excuse me," Sienna said, going to the nearest police officer who looked at her suspiciously.

"We're a bit busy here," he said, "Can't this wait?"

"Not really," Sienna said, "I'm looking for my daughter. She went missing a couple of months, ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the policeman said, "But right now we've got a murderer to catch."

"I heard his granddaughter was visiting," Sienna said as the policeman started to leave, "Did you ever see her?"

"No," said the officer, "Apparently, she rarely left the house. I doubt she was even that madman's granddaughter in the first place."

"Why did she rarely leave the house?" Sienna asked. If the "granddaughter" was Nico, she didn't want to think about what the murderer might have done to her.

"Apparently, she suffered from horrible burns," the officer said, "But she's disappeared along with the killer."

Sienna felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach. Nico had been in a fire. The murderer's "granddaughter" was burned. It was possible that it was just a coincidence but Sienna's gut was telling her that it wasn't. She prayed that this was one of those rare occasions where her gut was wrong. On top of that, both the killer and the girl had vanished.

"Thank you for your time," she said shakily.

"Do you know anything about this?" the officer asked.

"Only what's been in the news and what you've told me," Sienna said truthfully. She got back into her car and headed back towards Hollyoaks.

* * *

"You ignored me, didn't you?" Warren said when Sienna entered the flat.

"They're gone," Sienna said, "The killer and the girl. The police told me the girl had horrible burns." Warren's annoyed expression turned into one of concern. He stood up and approached her. Sienna tensed slightly but allowed him to hug her.

"It could be a coincidence," he said. He knew Sienna had never fully forgiven him for leaving Nico in that fire and even if they found her, Nico would probably be scarred for life. Warren feared that if Sienna saw her daughter like that, she might grow to hate him.

"You're right," Sienna replied, "It _could_ be a coincidence but it would be one hell of a big one. Nico was there, I'm certain of it. She's with a murderer. What if he hurts her or…?" Her shoulders shook. Warren couldn't see her face but he could tell that Sienna had started to cry. He rubbed her back gently and gave her a moment to calm down before speaking.

"He might use her as a weapon," Warren said quietly, "Teenage girls are impressionable and Nico was already messed up. Spending time with a madman could make her even more dangerous."

 **Does anyone apart from Bonnie Sveen Fan even read this story? Anyway, Happy New Year.**


	5. Chapter 5

Silas was driving with Nico sitting in the passenger's seat beside him. Nico looked out of the window while Silas focussed on the road.

For once, Silas didn't have a plan in mind. Normally, whenever he moved locations, he planned it beforehand but having to leave so suddenly had thrown him off. He was still berating himself for the amateur mistake he made when he killed Linda. Nico had tried to comfort him by reminding him of his age but if anything, that just made him angrier. She was right. He wasn't a young man anymore and it was really starting to show not only in his appearance but in his mind.

"Where are, we going?" Nico finally asked. Silas glanced at her and hesitated. He wasn't angry with Nico but she seemed to think that he was.

"I'm not quite sure," he admitted reluctantly, "I wasn't planning on leaving so suddenly."

Nico thought of teasing him but although she loved Silas like a grandfather, there was still a part of her that was afraid of him whenever he was in a bad mood. It was similar, to whenever she angered Patrick when he was alive, except she had never really loved Patrick. Silas was twice the grandad Patrick could have ever been. Suddenly Nico had an idea.

"I know where we could hide for a while," she said eagerly. Silas looked at her and smiled slightly. Her childish enthusiasm made him forget his own anger for a moment as Nico gave him directions to their destination.

* * *

Nico looked up at the family home where Patrick had raised Sienna. Nico herself had been here but at the time, Sienna had been crazy and so obsessed with having a "perfect family" that she had kidnapped her and Dodger. Despite that, Nico felt a sad pang when she remembered Sienna. She had always wanted a perfect family too. That was one of the things she and Sienna had that in common.

Nico wasn't used to missing someone, especially someone whom she had stabbed and tried to poison but despite all the dysfunction, anger and bitterness in her and Sienna's relationship, she still felt a little sad when she thought about her mother. She even found herself hoping that Sienna hadn't drunk the poisoned orange juice. Nico wasn't sure if she wanted to see Sienna again but she didn't really want her dead and whenever she thought back, she wasn't entirely sure if she ever had. Stabbing her mother had been an instinctive reaction and she hadn't been fully aware of what she was doing at the time. Nico couldn't even remember exactly why she had poisoned the orange juice. It seemed childish now that Silas was teaching her about the greater good and art of being a serial killer.

"So, this is where you and your mother used to live," Silas said, "Fond memories?"

"Not exactly," Nico admitted, "She was crazy while we were here. But people don't tend to visit this place anymore."

"Excellent," Silas said, "And it's technically your inheritance so we're not even breaking and entering."

"I thought you had nothing against breaking and entering," Nico said.

"I don't but it's good to know that nobody can accuse me of stealing their land if you're living with me," Silas said. He parked the car and the pair got out. Nico looked up at the mansion which almost seemed like a haunted house. This didn't bother Nico at all – she loved dark and gothic things – and she went to the entrance. Then she frowned when she found the door locked.

"Great," she muttered, "Nobody lives here but mum still decided to lock up when she left."

"I suppose I _will_ have to break and enter then," Silas said and gestured for Nico to stand aside. The girl obeyed and watched Silas take out a piece of wire. Silas gave her a sidelong glance, "Not all people open their doors as easily as that stupid slut." He put the wire in the keyhole and twisted it. Nico fidgeted impatiently but Silas calmly continued twisting until the door finally opened. He stepped inside and Nico followed.

The interior of the house resembled a haunted mansion even more than the exterior. Nico felt chilled and she loved it. She hurried into the sitting room. Her leg barely bothered her anymore. Silas followed at a slower pace, looking around critically.

"This place really needs to be tidied up," he said. Nico switched on the old television and to her surprise, it still worked. She hopped onto a moth-eaten sofa when she found one of the old Dracula films. Silas joined her, "Ah Sir Christopher Lee. I've always been a fan of him, especially in villainous roles."

"He's dead now, isn't he?" Nico said.

"Yes," Silas replied, "But he had a long life and a great career. I believe he was satisfied with all that he accomplished."

"Are you?" Nico asked. Silas thought about it.

"Not entirely," he said after a moment, "I still have things I need to make up for."

* * *

Warren was worried about Sienna. She was shutting herself off from the rest of the world and barely even paid attention when he tried to talk to her. Warren was getting increasingly desperate to find Nico just to snap Sienna out of her depression. However, the police had lost track of the old man from the other village and they didn't know for certain if the girl living with him was Nico. Both Warren and Sienna were fairly sure she was but Warren was worried that if they found her and turned out to be wrong, Sienna's condition would deteriorate even further.

Since Warren couldn't get through to Sienna anymore, he felt like she needed to talk to another woman. He knocked on the door of the Osbourne's flat. Darren opened it and eyed him suspiciously.

"Hello Darren," Warren said pleasantly, "I need to talk to Maxine."

"About what?" Darren asked.

"About Sienna," Warren replied, "I can't get through to her anymore. I think she needs a woman's touch."

* * *

Sienna heard a knock at the door. Assuming it was Warren, she went to open it.

"Maxine?" she said, caught off guard by her step-mother's arrival, "What are you doing here?"

"Warren asked me to come and talk to you," Maxine said, "He's worried about you."

"I'm fine," Sienna said. She felt uncomfortable talking to Maxine as she had been convinced that her step-mother had killed her father. It had been nearly four months since Nico disappeared and in all that time, Sienna had never even apologised to Maxine.

"No, you're not," Maxine said, "And neither is Warren. He's driving himself mad looking for your daughter and he says you barely acknowledge him anymore."

"Why do you care?" Sienna asked.

"Because Warren was my fiancé and you're my step-daughter," Maxine said.

"You're too soft, Max," Sienna said and turned away but left the door open. Maxine knew her well enough to understand that was an invitation to enter. Both women sat on the sofa.

"Sienna, have you ever thought that Nico might be dead by now?" Maxine asked cautiously. Sienna stiffened. Maxine felt like she was talking a leopard but she continued, "Even if she survived the fire, anything could have happened since then. After all, she's a sixteen-year-old girl, fending for herself."

"Seventeen," Sienna corrected her, "Her birthday was last month." She smiled bitterly, "I even got her a gothic novel as a present."

"It's not Twilight, is it?" Maxine asked.

"God no," Sienna said, "I have higher standards than that."

"Nico might like it," Maxine said.

"No, she's too smart," Sienna said. She looked at Maxine out of the corner of her eye. The other woman looked genuinely worried about her. Sienna hated apologising – she was a perfectionist and apologising meant acknowledging a mistake – but she really couldn't put this off any longer, "Max… I'm sorry for accusing you of killing my dad. Warren told me you were innocent but I didn't believe him. I was just so desperate to get justice for dad that I kept throwing accusations at the first person who had a motive."

"Sienna, it's fine," Maxine said.

"No, it's not," Sienna said, "I was a total bitch. Even after I found out you were innocent, I just kept avoiding apologising to you." Despite her hatred of apologising, Sienna felt like a great weight was being lifted. She felt better than she had in weeks.

"Apology accepted," Maxine said kindly, "God knows, I'm aware of how volatile your family can be." Sienna smiled slightly.

"Don't you have a new man?" Sienna asked. Maxine flushed, "What's his name?"

"Adam Donavan," Maxine said still looking a little embarrassed, "He's really sweet."

"Very different from my dad then," Sienna said. Maxine nodded cautiously. Sienna had a strong sense of loyalty to her family, even the dead members of it, but she had come to the realization that her dad had been a cruel man, "I know he wasn't a good man, Max. But he was still my dad. And I know Nico's insane but she's still my daughter." She hesitated, then reluctantly added, "Sometimes, I'm not even sure why I still love them."

"I felt that way about Patrick," Maxine said, "No matter how abusive and violent he was, I never stopped loving him. I wanted to but I just couldn't. I guess I was masochistic."

"I should have known you're not capable of murder," Sienna muttered, "I hate it when I'm wrong."

"I know," Maxine said, "But you're only human, Sienna. No matter what your dad kept telling you, you can't be perfect. Nobody can."

* * *

Warren arrived home to find Sienna more animated than she had been in ages. Maxine had managed to pull her out of her shell.

"Evening ladies," Warren said, swaggering into the room, "Looks like you worked your magic, Max."

"Sienna just needed someone else to talk to," Maxine said, "Now, I should get back to Minnie. I'll see you later."

"Maxine," Sienna called as Maxine headed for the door, "Thank you." Maxine nodded and left. Warren sat down on the sofa and smiled.

"I've missed your smile," he said.

"I'm sorry I've been so closed off," Sienna said, "I just miss Nico."

"I know you do," Warren said, "But maybe we should take a break. All this stress isn't doing either of us any good."

"You're not suggesting we give up, are you?" Sienna said guardedly.

"Not at all," Warren said soothingly, "I'm just saying we should have a little time off. Recharge our batteries, then start searching again."

"Okay," Sienna agreed, "I know where we can go."

 **It's my birthday today. 23 years old.**


	6. Chapter 6

Nico was re-watching Dracula. She glimpsed a car approaching the house out of the corner of her eye. Silas had gone to get food so Nico was alone but strangers had never bothered her. She confidently went to the door then paused as she heard it being unlocked from the outside. That clearly hadn't been Silas' car and only one person had a key that wasn't a piece of wire. Nico suddenly felt less confident. She made a split-second decision, darted into the living room and hid behind the sofa.

"So, this was your dad's place," Warren said as he followed Sienna into the house. Nico watched them silently. Part of her wanted to run to her mother, part of her wanted to stay hidden and another part wanted to freak Sienna and Warren out.

"Yes," Sienna said, "I haven't been here in ages."

"Someone's cleaned up nicely," Warren noted as they entered the kitchen. Nico darted past the room and Warren turned to the doorway, "Oi. Who's there?"

"The house was locked," Sienna said, "Even Nico didn't have a key." Nonetheless, she followed Warren into the hallway. Warren started up the stairs while Sienna went into the living room. She frowned at the television which was reaching the end of the movie. Suddenly, Nico grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. Sienna was about to struggle but froze when Nico spoke.

"Hi mum," she whispered in her mother's ear, "Don't scream." Sienna nodded and the hand was removed but she didn't turn around at first. She was scared that her ears were deceiving her.

"Nico?" she asked quietly. Nico didn't reply but released her so she felt it was safe to turn around. Sienna felt a combination of elation, fear, and heartbreak as she stared at her daughter who stared back expressionlessly. "You _are_ alive."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Nico said coldly.

Sienna stepped forwards. She wanted to gather her little girl into her arms and never let her go but she also knew from experience how dangerous a hug with Nico could be. Instead she took in Nico's appearance. Back when she was living in Hollyoaks, Nico had been a pretty girl and while her beauty hadn't completely disappeared, it had been marred by burn scars on her face. Her hair had grown back to its former length and fell down her back. She looked surprisingly healthy, despite the scars but her eyes were empty. There was no love in them but, to Sienna's relief, no hatred either.

"Warren and I have been looking for you ever since…" Sienna hesitated and looked at Nico's scarred face. She felt tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry."

"Are you going to hand me over to the police?" Nico asked, still speaking coldly.

"No," Sienna shook her head, "I've been worried about you. Warren and I were driving ourselves crazy looking for you."

"Well, I'm fine," Nico said, "Now get out."

Sienna felt as though Nico had punched her, but this was still a step up from being stabbed or poisoned. She looked at Nico's empty hands, then her eyes darted around looking for anything within her daughter's reach that could be used as a weapon. Finding nothing, she stepped forwards and hugged her. Nico stiffened.

"I've missed you, sweetheart," Sienna whispered.

"Don't call me sweetheart," Nico growled and started struggling. Sienna held her tightly.

"Nico please," she begged, "Don't push me away. I love you."

"I hate you," Nico snarled. Suddenly Sienna was back in the maze, saying what she feared would be the last words she would ever say to her daughter. Nico's leg was trapped but she was glaring at her and telling her that she hated her.

"Sienna?" Warren arrived in the room to find his girlfriend hugging Nico whilst sobbing. Nico was struggling like a wild animal, "Nico?" Nico tore herself out of Sienna's arms and whirled around. There were angry tears in her eyes but she hastily wiped them away.

"I don't want you two here," she hissed, "I'm living with someone else. Someone who loves me for me."

"Nico I…" Sienna began.

"You only love me because I'm your daughter!" Nico screamed and tears were falling again, "I'm not who you want me to be, mum! I'm a murderous freak! I know I should be ashamed but I'm not! Not anymore! This is who I am!"

"And you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are," said a voice and everyone looked at the doorway. Silas entered the room, placed a couple of shopping bags on the table and looked at his visitors, "I assume that you're Nico's mother. Sienna, isn't it? Delighted to finally meet you. And you must be… Warren Fox, if I'm not mistaken."

"Let me guess," Warren said, "You're Nico's "grandfather"."

"Well, she looks up to me like one," Silas said, "May I offer you a drink?"

"How stupid do you think I am?" Warren asked, "I know who you are."

"Then you should know that poison isn't my style," Silas said, "My memory's not what it once was but I'm fairly sure we've never actually met."

"Who are you?" Sienna asked, instinctively stepping between Silas and Nico, only for Nico to push her out of the way and cross over to the old man.

"Silas Blissett," Silas replied, "Perhaps you've heard of me?"

"Yes," Sienna said.

"Then you'll know that I despise whores," Silas said, narrowing his eyes. Warren stepped protectively in front of Sienna, "But fortunately for you, Nico is no longer interested in killing you and I must confess I've developed an attachment to her. I suggest you both leave."

"You really think an old snake like you can tell us what to do?" Warren asked coldly. Silas glared at him. Warren was bigger, stronger, and younger than he was so Silas knew that getting into a fight with him would not end well. The old man relaxed and his glare turned into a polite smile.

"Well, I suppose we can sit down and talk," he said. He went to the sofa and sat before gesturing to the other chairs. Nico sat beside Silas and Sienna and Warren sat together on another sofa.

"I want my daughter back," Sienna said simply.

"That's not up to me," Silas said.

"I'm happy with Silas," Nico said, "You know I'm alive now, so just leave us alone."

"We can't. You're both serial killers," Warren said coldly.

"I believe you've killed people too, Mr Fox," Silas said, "Or what was it Brendan Brady used to call you? Foxy." Warren glared at him. "I don't like that. Perhaps, I'm just too old for nicknames."

"Whose Brendan Brady?" Nico asked.

"An old friend of Warren's and a man I framed for murder before I was caught," Silas said casually, "He was innocent of that particular murder but got arrested for several others."

"Brendan and I were not friends," Warren muttered.

Sienna was feeling increasingly uncomfortable about the situation. Every single person in the room apart from herself had killed people in the past. While she knew that Warren had changed, it seemed that Silas and Nico had not. However, Silas had a look of genuine fondness in his eyes whenever he glanced at Nico while she was completely comfortable around him, not looking in the slightest bit intimidated by the woman strangling maniac at her side. If Sienna didn't know better, she'd think they really were grandfather and granddaughter.

"What have you been doing, Nico?" she asked.

"Learning," Nico said, "Silas taught me that there's an art to killing. So, don't worry; I haven't killed anyone since Trevor. If I decide to kill you it won't be as clumsy as the other times." Sienna winced and instinctively touched the scar Nico had left in her side. Nico noticed and a grim smile crossed her burned features, "Still hurt?"

"Nico, Sienna's your mother," Warren said, "And god knows why but she still loves you. Why else would she be screaming at me to get you out of the maze?"

"Because she wants me locked up," Nico said coldly.

"That's not true," Sienna said, "I don't _want_ you to be locked up but you're dangerous to everyone around you. You need help."

"Of course, you would think that," Silas said, rolling his eyes, "Sometimes, I think Nico and I have evolved to a higher plane. Someone must get rid of the filth in the world. The common crowd can't see that because they're wading through it." He shot a disgusted look at Sienna, "Nico told me you slept with your own brother. Disgusting."

"Well if I hadn't, Nico wouldn't have been born," Sienna reminded him.

"Fair point," Silas agreed, "Despite the sinful way you conceived her, I am grateful that you gave birth to such a special young woman. Normally a woman like you would be on my list."

"If you touch her, I'll kill you," Warren said looking Silas straight in the eye.

"I have no doubt," Silas responded, "I'm not stupid, Mr Fox. Or may I call you Warren?" Warren glared at him and Silas smiled benignly, taking his silence as a yes, "Now, if we all stay here tonight, chances are at least one of us will be dead tomorrow so I suggest you two leave."

"This is still my house," Sienna told him, "And I can't let you just run off with Nico."

"You can't force me to come with you, either," Nico said defiantly. Warren raised an eyebrow at her and Nico tensed, half expecting him to carry her kicking and screaming out of the house. Silas was the only one in the room who seemed completely relaxed but even so, he was keeping a close eye on Warren. If the younger man did decide to forcefully remove Nico from the house, there wasn't much Silas would be able to do to stop him.

Sienna hesitated, trying to decide how to make Nico stay with her without goading her crazy daughter into making another attempt on her life and most likely Warren's in the process. She really didn't want to resort to using violence but it seemed that the only other option was letting Nico stay with Silas. Then she had an idea.

"What if Warren and I keep your location a secret and in return, you live here and let me come and visit Nico?" she suggested to Silas, "I'll give you my phone number and you give me yours."

"You're suggesting perverting the course of justice just to be with your daughter?" Silas said, "How touching."

"I can't lose her again," Sienna said simply, "I'll do anything just to be able to see her."

"Your devotion is admirable," Silas admitted. He looked at Nico, "What do you think, my dear?"

Nico looked at her mother who stared at her with a pleading expression. Nico knew that Sienna loved her. She couldn't really understand why but Sienna had proven repeatedly that she would do anything for her. And while Nico didn't want to admit it, part of her had missed her mother during the time they were separated. But if she had to choose between Sienna and Silas, she would choose Silas without a second thought. Sienna knew this so she was trying to find the middle ground.

"Fine," Nico said curtly, "If you don't tell the police, we'll stay here and let you visit. If you betray us, I swear I'll kill you."

"Then it's settled," Silas said cheerfully, "Thank you for welcoming me into your family." Warren shot him a disgusted look but Sienna ignored him completely and just looked at Nico.

"Thank you," Sienna said and for a split second, she thought she saw a spark of affection light up her daughter's empty eyes.

 **This one was difficult to write and I'm kind of running out of motivation. More reviews would be appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

"This arrangement won't last," Warren said as he drove Sienna home, "I wouldn't put it past Silas to just change his phone number and leave."

"I know," Sienna said, "But the only other option was taking Nico by force."

"I could have done that," Warren said, "We could have taken Nico to get treatment."

"But she'd never forgive me and our relationship is enough of a mess as it is," Sienna said.

* * *

"Are you sure we should stay?" Nico asked Silas as they ate supper together.

"Your mother won't turn us in," Silas said confidently.

"Warren might," Nico said.

"I doubt it," Silas replied, "He's completely smitten with her." A flicker of disgust crossed his face. By now Nico knew him well enough to recognise from his expression that he was thinking about all the men her mother had slept with. She was silently relieved that Silas wasn't listening to his killing instincts for once.

* * *

Sienna stayed awake that night. Warren was sleeping beside her. Sienna finally got up and went into the living room. She looked down at the piece of paper with Silas' number on it. Trying to distract herself, she switched on the television, turning the volume down so she wouldn't wake Warren.

When Warren woke the next morning, he found Sienna asleep on the sofa with the television on. He smiled slightly. Sienna was thirty-two years old but she looked twenty-five and seemed even younger when she slept. He went over and covered her with a blanket before starting to make breakfast.

Sienna woke up and saw Warren making sausages and eggs. Warren had never been much of a cook but it was still a sweet gesture.

"Morning," Warren said, "I've done my best not to burn these for once." Sienna got up and joined him. Warren had done a good job; there were a couple of burned sections but not so many that the sausages would be inedible.

"You're getting better at this," Sienna said with that little smile that Warren loved so much. They sat down and Sienna realized that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the previous day. She started to eat but was careful to maintain her manners. Warren wasn't worried about table manners but as a little girl, Patrick had always scolded Sienna if she slouched or put her elbows on the table.

"I guess you want to visit Nico," Warren guessed. Sienna nodded.

"What if Silas left with her?" she asked.

"Then we'll find them again," Warren replied.

* * *

Nico picked at her breakfast while Silas drank his tea. He watched her silently, waiting for her to speak. Eventually, Nico couldn't stand the silence anymore and said, "Why can't I just hate mum?"

Silas put down his tea and thought for a moment before saying, "I think it's because you know she loves you. And you want to be loved, don't you?"

"Yes, but I don't need it from her," Nico muttered.

"You're lying," Silas said, "All you've ever wanted is to be part of a happy family and while Sienna is no paragon of virtue, I believe she wants that too. Besides, I'm not going to be around forever. You don't want to be alone after I'm dead, do you?"

"No," Nico admitted, "I'm used to being alone, but I don't like it."

"I know what you mean," Silas said, "I haven't been part of a family since I killed Heidi. Those who are still alive despise me. But you can still make up with your family."

"Don't you want mum dead?" Nico asked, "I mean, she's everything you hate."

"Indeed," Silas agreed, "But I care more about your happiness than getting rid of one piece of filth."

"Mum wants to get me therapy though," Nico said, "I've told her who I am but she still wants to 'help' me. What if she just can't accept me as I am?" Silas sipped his tea as he thought.

"I think she already has," he said.

* * *

Sienna relaxed slightly when she saw Silas' car still in the driveway. Warren stopped and Sienna swiftly got out. Warren followed more slowly. Sienna knocked on the door. Silas answered it with a polite smile which didn't reach his cold eyes.

"Sienna, Warren please come inside," he stepped gracefully aside and gestured to the interior of the house, "Nico's in her room."

"I want to speak with her alone," Sienna said.

"And try to turn her against me?" Silas asked shrewdly. Sienna didn't answer. Silas watched her go upstairs, then turned to Warren, "Beautiful girl. I bet she could have any man she wants."

"Well she wants me," Warren said firmly.

"She also wanted her twin brother once upon a time," Silas replied, "May I offer you some tea?"

* * *

Sienna knocked on the door of Nico's room and cautiously pushed it open. Nico sat on the bed reading Wuthering Heights. Sienna silently cursed herself for forgetting to bring the book she had bought for Nico's seventeenth birthday.

"Nico?" Sienna asked cautiously. The girl's eyes flicked up to her briefly but that was the only sign she gave that she'd heard her. Sienna approached and sat on a chair beside the bed.

"Heathcliff was messed up," Nico said quietly, "Shortly before he died he kept hallucinating his dead girlfriend. I'm pretty sure he slept with her corpse too. At least I'm not that messed up."

"I've hallucinated in the past," Sienna admitted after a brief silence, "I spoke to dad's ghost after I was arrested."

"So, you're screwed up," Nico said.

"A bit," Sienna agreed, "I wouldn't sleep with a corpse though."

They sat in silence for a while. Sienna hated that it was so hard for them to just talk to each other. She always had to be on her guard around Nico but the girl was exhibiting a similar level of caution. Sienna liked to think that Nico just didn't want to upset her but in reality it was more likely that the teenager just didn't trust her. This was the most messed up mother and daughter relationship she could imagine.

"I know I'm screwed up too," Nico admitted finally, "I know Silas and I aren't normal but I just can't be bothered to care."

"Did you ever care?" Sienna asked quietly. Nico thought for a moment.

"I think I did after I killed Carley," she muttered, "But not while I was actually doing it and after that… it was so easy. I told grandad I was sorry but I didn't mean it. I regretted stabbing you but while I was doing it, I barely realized it was happening. And while I was killing Trevor, I knew exactly what I was doing and I didn't feel anything at all. I didn't even pretend to be sorry."

Sienna was watching Nico with tears in her eyes. The fact that her own daughter could take human lives so easily both frightened her and broke her heart. Nico noticed her mother's tears and scowled.

"Stop it," she muttered.

"I'm sorry you ended up like this," said Sienna.

"Don't be," Nico replied, "I was probably born evil anyway."

* * *

"Check," Silas said and leaned back on the sofa while Warren scowled, "I wasn't really expecting an uncultured brute such as yourself to be a worthy adversary."

"I'd rather be an uncultured brute than a poisonous snake," Warren retorted as he moved his king out of harm's way. Sienna and Nico came down the stairs.

"Hello my dears," Silas greeted with infuriating cheeriness.

"Nico and I are going for a walk," Sienna said, looking at Silas in a way that was daring him to stop her. He remained in his relaxed posture.

"Go right ahead," he said, then moved another chess piece and knocked Warren's remaining bishop off the board.

* * *

Sienna watched Nico while they walked and noticed that her way of walking was slightly different from how she remembered. While she wasn't exactly limping, it was clear she favoured putting her weight on her right leg rather than her left.

"Is that from… that night?" Sienna asked, gesturing to Nico's legs.

"What?" Nico asked shortly.

"You never used to walk like that," Sienna said.

"Well, my leg was burned and broken in the fire so what do you expect?" Nico replied.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get you out," Sienna murmured. Nico shrugged off her apology and they walked in silence. Sienna hesitated then said, "I could pay for surgery for your burns if you want." Nico's cold demeanour faltered for a moment. She hesitated, then looked at Sienna.

"Silas told me that scars are a sign of strength," she said, "But I still feel upset whenever I look in a mirror. Mum… am I ugly?"

Sienna respected her enough to think about the answer. Nico's physical beauty had been noticeably marred but if one looked closely at her, they would be able to tell that she had been very pretty in the past. In many ways, her physical appearance now suited her vicious personality. Before the fire, one could look at her and just see a sweet, lonely little girl without any idea of the lunatic hiding beneath. Now however, one only had to look at her to know that it wouldn't be wise to mess with her. Nico was insane, arguably downright evil but she was strong. Sienna realized that even if there was nothing else about her daughter that she could be proud of, she could at least admire her resilience. She looked, into Nico's blue eyes which had been empty since she arrived but now had a vulnerable, childlike look in them. Sometimes even Sienna forgot how young Nico really was.

"Not to me," Sienna said truthfully, "You're frightening, complicated and dangerous but you're not ugly."

Nico's expression changed ever so slightly and her lip curled into a tiny smile.

* * *

"Checkmate," Silas said. Warren sat back with a scowl, "You're a man who acts without thinking Warren. To win a chess game, you need to understand how your opponent plays."

"I don't need a lecture from you, old man," Warren growled. Silas smirked.

"So how is your relationship with dear Sienna?" he asked casually.

"Fine," Warren grunted.

"Good," Silas said, "But I'm sure you're aware of Sienna's past."

"She had a bad father, slept with her brother, gave birth to a psychopath, covered for Nico's murders, cheated on her husband, broke up with said husband and fell in love with me," Warren replied, "Yes, I know her past."

"So, you're aware that she's not the most faithful woman," Silas said.

"I'm aware that she's not perfect," Warren said.

Sienna and Nico returned. Silas raised a hand in greeting and Warren relaxed when he saw his girlfriend.

"Did you two have a pleasant walk?" Silas asked.

"It was okay," Nico said with a shrug. She moved to sit beside Silas. Sienna sat with Warren who glanced at her briefly. She seemed a bit more relaxed than she did when she left.

"Would you like a game, Sienna?" Silas asked, "Nico has become a competent player and I'd like to see how much of that comes from you."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Silas won but Sienna did manage to knock off half of his pieces before he claimed her king.

"Well, you're a worthier opponent than Warren," Silas said as he toyed with Sienna's king, "Not nearly as straightforward."

"Thank you," Sienna said stiffly then glanced at Nico, "Have you ever beaten Silas, sweetheart?"

"Not yet," Nico responded.

"To be fair, very few people have," Silas murmured looking at the chess piece thoughtfully. The face of Lindsey Nolan materialised in his mind and as usual, he felt a twinge of sadness as he remembered what a worthy opponent she had been.

* * *

Warren looked at Sienna out of the corner of his eye as he drove them home.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"I saw my daughter," Sienna said. Noticing Warren's confused look, she elaborated, "I mean she looked at me like a mother today. She wasn't Nico the crazy psychopath, she was Nico, my little girl."

 **I'm struggling with the next chapter and distracted by another story I'm writing, which won't appear on this site because it's not from any known franchise. Five years of trying to become a screenwriter can take its toll.**

 **Also, since Nico left, I've been slowly but surely losing interest in Hollyoaks. Sienna's a great character but she's not as interesting as Nico, although I think Anna Passey is technically a better actress than Persephone Swales Dawson. Plus one of my favourite things about Sienna is her unconditional love for Nico so losing Nico feels like losing a pretty big part of Sienna's identity.**


End file.
